The Walking Dead has finally ended, and although Rick Grimes was missing in the finale’s main plot, three other characters made up for the absence of the zombie apocalypse’s most famous survivor. After 11 seasons, The Walking Dead came to a close with an explosive finale that saw Daryl Dixon and the rest of the show’s heroes overthrow Governor Pamela Milton and slay thousands of walkers. AMC delivered a satisfying ending to the popular horror show, with the only glaring omission from The Walking Dead‘s final fight against the Commonwealth being Rick Grimes, but other survivors stepped up in his place.

Through The Walking Dead season 9, Rick Grimes was the main character, but the show was left with a huge hole to fill when Andrew Lincoln, the actor who plays him, decided to leave. Rick Grimes led the group of survivors he first met in Atlanta, and at times they struggled to function properly without him. He was prepared to put himself on the line to protect his people, he made difficult decisions, and unlike other Walking Dead authority figures, he didn’t lead through fear. Rick would have been a key player in the Commonwealth coup, but without him, three fan-favorite characters channeled the spirit of Rick Grimes in The Walking Dead finale: Ezekiel Sutton, Daryl Dixon, and Rick’s daughter, Judith Grimes.

Ezekiel Sutton

Since his introduction as King of The Kingdom, Ezekiel Sutton has always been one of The Walking Dead‘s most effective leaders, but he lost his confidence after a brutal attack by Negan’s Saviors. The Walking Dead season 11 saw Ezekiel step back into a commanding role once more, and in the series finale, he exuded the leadership qualities of Rick Grimes. During the battle with the Commonwealth, Mercer ordered the Alexandrians to run home to safety, but Ezekiel was the first to announce his intentions to stay and fight for the innocent people of the Commonwealth, which inspired the rest of his group to do the same.

One year after taking over the Commonwealth from Pamela Milton, The Walking Dead shows Ezekiel continuing his leadership role as the community’s new Governor, with Mercer as his second in command. Ezekiel led the Commonwealth into a peaceful new chapter and works harmoniously with his friends living back in Alexandria. Ezekiel’s final scene sees him give an inspiring speech, harking back to his days as King and drawing clear parallels with the types of public speeches that Rick would give.

Daryl Dixon

One of Rick Grimes’s defining moments in Robert Kirkman’s comic is his speech that stops a physical altercation between his group and the Commonwealth army. Daryl Dixon takes that role in the Walking Dead finale as he defies Pamela Milton’s orders and convinces the Commonwealth soldiers to let the defenseless members of the community be saved from an incoming herd of walkers. Daryl tells Pamela that every survivor deserves a chance and delivers Rick’s famous comic book line “we are not the walking dead.”

Daryl also honored the legacy of Carl Grimes in the way that Rick would have wanted by nodding to Negan after the Commonwealth and enormous zombie herd were defeated. Carl’s dying wish was for Rick to make peace with Negan instead of killing him, and Daryl’s acknowledgment of Negan’s redemption respects Carl’s wishes. Daryl is one of The Walking Dead‘s best leaders because he is unselfish and willing to do anything for his people, but he has always been more of a lone wolf. Ahead of Daryl’s Paris spinoff show, he has left his community in a better place thanks to his heroic efforts during the Walking Dead wars.

Judith Grimes

Judith Grimes first mirrors her father, Rick Grimes, in the Walking Dead finale when she has her moment waking up in hospital — a call back to The Walking Dead‘s first episode when Rick wakes up from a coma to discover the zombie apocalypse. Later, Judith proves that, like her father, she can bring people together when she tells Pamela Milton, who is about to kill herself, that it’s not too late for the Governor to help people. A year on from the fight with the Commonwealth, Judith heartwarmingly says to Daryl Dixon that he deserves a happy ending, the type of thing Rick Grimes would have told his best friend in The Walking Dead.